U.S. Park Police Detective Kevin Fornshill is focusing on identifying a homeless man found in 2003 before he retires in April.
The man, described as an African-American in his 30s, was found by a maintenance worker Jan. 16, 2003, under the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. He was wrapped in a sleeping bag and blankets, initially thought of as debris, until it was moved and his skeletal remains were found.
Medical examiners could not determine the cause of death, but there was no sign of trauma. It was estimated the man had been dead for about six months before discovery.
Fornshill said the most distinctive characteristic about the man was a “large, boney growth,” known as an exostosis, protruding from his upper left jaw. The growth was golf-ball-size, giving his face a swollen appearance and causing difficulty with speaking and eating.
No reward is currently being offered for information on the case, but Fornshill said he’s “sure we could dig up some money somewhere. … I’m sure that there’d be some grateful family out there if we could identify him.”
“If it comes down to that, maybe I could dip in my pocket and pay off some money for somebody.”
The case is “one thing left on my desk to try to clear up” for Fornshill. He has worked on the case from the beginning and has spent the past seven years taking a reconstruction photo around to homeless shelters trying to find someone to identify him. He said solving the case would “give me sort of a clear conscience or relieve a burden from me.”
“This is somebody’s father or brother or son, and I think the family would like to know where’s he at or at least find out what has happened to him so they can maybe get some closure,” he said. “And I’d like some closure, too.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Fornshill at 202-610-8751.
